Senator Sine Kerr Introduces "Arizona Women's Bill of Rights "to Provide Protections Against Male Intrusion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Senator Sine Kerr Introduces "Arizona Women's Bill of Rights"

to Provide Protections Against Male Intrusion

PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Senator Sine Kerr is sponsoring a bill critical to protecting women and girls throughout Arizona. SB 1628 brings clarity and uniformity to state laws governing sex discrimination and equality of the sexes. This bill helps preserve sex-specific spaces and clarifies relevant definitions to ensure the safety and well-being of girls and women in Arizona.

Under SB 1628, “sex” is defined as a person’s biological sex, either male or female, for all purposes of state law. It preserves single-sex spaces to ensure girls’ and women’s safety and privacy in those spaces, while not changing current law or creating new restrictions on anyone’s legal rights.

"Laws should be based in objective reality and uniform for all Arizonans," said Senator Kerr. "Men and boys have been encroaching on girls’ and women’s private spaces, like locker rooms and showers, as well as sports teams, robbing women from athletic opportunities and putting them in danger as they face physically stronger males in competition. SB 1628 supports women and girls in their rights to privacy, fairness, and safety on the playing field."

Former University of Pennsylvania swimmer and Independent Women's Voice Ambassador Paula Scanlan joined Senator Kerr at a press conference today and spoke with lawmakers about the importance of this bill. Scanlan was forced to share a locker room and compete with Lia Thomas, a trans-identifying male swimmer. Even under immense pressure to keep silent, Scanlan is bravely speaking out against the abuses women and girls are dealing with.

"I am happy to support the introduction of the Women’s Bill of Rights in Arizona. With more than 3.5 million women living in the state, this bill would have an incredible impact in providing scientifically-sound protections for women and their personal spaces. Having experienced firsthand the injustices of inviting males into women’s private areas and allowing them to steal athletic accolades from young ladies dedicating their lives to their chosen sports, I know the incredible importance of having legislation that stops these reckless new norms."

"Girls and women deserve to be safe in the places where they are most vulnerable, and we have seen far too many examples of girls and women physically injured, relegated to the bench, and bumped off the winner’s podium by males competing as females," added Senator Kerr.

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For more information, contact:

Kim Quintero

Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus

kquintero@azleg.gov